Controversial plans which it is feared could increase Wormit’s population by a quarter are back in the pipeline.
Fife Council rejected plans for up to 200 new homes in November but developers Stewart Milne Homes and Linlathen Developments have taken their scheme to the Scottish Government in the hope it will overturn the council ruling.
People in Wormit fought the proposals for land north-east of Kilmany Road, warning that the village would be “swamped” and its infrastructure and services, including its school and roads, would be unable to cope.
It was also claimed they could be a Trojan horse for further development, as Stewart Milne Homes and Linlathen Development had drawn up a masterplan showing another 150 houses on two adjacent sites and development for commerce, retail and education in what they described as an “urban extension” to the village.
However, both firms accuse the council of failing to meet obligations on the supply of housing land it placed upon itself.
In the appeal, agent Turley Associates states, “The local planning authority has failed to grasp the acute and severe issue of the housing land supply deficit in the St Andrews and north-east Fife housing market area at this time.”
The council rejected the plans on the grounds that the 17.3 hectares of farmland the companies want to build on is outside the Wormit settlement boundary and the development contravened policy on new housing in the countryside.
It also went against the development on visual amenity grounds and councillors said a precedent would be set for further development to the detriment of the area’s rural character.
However, Stewart Milne Homes and Linlathen Developments say that the council overstated the position in regard to landscape impact, which they say would be minimal, and that the need for housing is sufficient justification for the “insignificant” impact on the landscape setting of Wormit.
A campaign of opposition was launched in the village after the proposals emerged in August 2009. Stewart McKiddie, chairman of Newport, Wormit and Forgan Community Council, pointed out that Fife Council had been unanimous in finding against the planning application.
“The community council will continue to support local residents in their opposition to this development,” he said. “We welcome any opportunity to take part in challenging this appeal.
“There are brownfield sites in the area which continue to deteriorate and detract significantly from the village’s appearance and which should be used before prime agricultural land.”
The planning application was the first of its type to be considered under new processes which meant it could not be dealt with solely by the north-east area committee as previously. Instead it went before the planning committee before being taken to the full council.